Ingredient

EDTA

Name / description

EDTA; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid

Function(s) of this ingredient in cosmetic products

CHELATING

Binds metal ions which could negatively affect the stability and / or appearance of cosmetics

Origin

synthetic

Why are we talking about it?

EDTA is suspected of being an eye irritant and is considered an environmental pollutant because it is poorly biodegradable and has the potential to absorb and remobilise heavy metals. The facts: EDTA is insignificantly absorbed through the skin, hardly metabolised and rapidly eliminated (1). The safety margin for the use of EDTA in cosmetics is thus 300,000 times higher than the required minimum safety margin (2). EDTA and its salts are irritating at high concentration levels, but they are only used at very low concentrations (< 0.5 %) in cosmetic products. These concentrations are clearly below the irritation threshold. Furthermore, the skin and eye compatibility of cosmetic products is being evaluated before it is placed on the market. EDTA is not considered a persistent, bioaccumulative or toxic pollutant. However, it is poorly biodegradable (3). The European Commission considers that the risk linked to heavy metals only exists under particular circumstances, due to the trapping of EDTA/heavy metal complexes in sediments. Key points to take away: Due to the low concentrations used in cosmetic products, the use of EDTA and its salts is considered to be safe for human health. Beyond its safe use in cosmetics, the ecological characteristics of EDTA and its salts justify that these substances be carefully monitored for their environmental behavior. Sources: (1) Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), 2019: https://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/EDTA.pdf (2) Cosmetic Products Regulation EC No 1223/2009; Annex III (3) French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks Risks (INERIS), 2011: https://substances.ineris.fr/fr/substance/getDocument/3042

Belongs to the following substance groups

Stabilisers

Regulating cosmetics

Cosmetics Ingredients are subject to regulation. Please note, different regulations may apply to cosmetic ingredients outside the EU.

Understanding your cosmetics

How are cosmetics kept safe in Europe?

Strict laws make sure that cosmetics and personal care products sold in the European Union are safe for people to use. Companies, national and European regulatory authorities share the responsibility of keeping cosmetic products safe.

What should I know about endocrine disruptors?

Some ingredients used in cosmetic products have been claimed to be ‘endocrine disruptors’ because they have the potential to mimic some of the properties of our hormones. Just because something has the potential to mimic a hormone does not mean it will disrupt our endocrine system. Many substances, including natural ones, mimic hormones but very few, and these are mostly potent medicines, have ever been shown to cause disruption of the endocrine system. The rigorous product safety assessments by qualified, scientific experts that companies are legally obliged to carry out cover all potential risks, including potential endocrine disruption.

Are cosmetics tested on animals? No!

In the European Union, testing cosmetics on animals has been fully banned since 2013. Over the last 30 years, long before a ban was in place, the cosmetics and personal care industry has invested in research and development to pioneer alternatives to animal testing tools to assess the safety of cosmetics ingredients and products.

What about allergens in cosmetics?

Many substances, natural or man-made, have the potential to cause an allergic reaction. An allergic reaction occurs when a person’s immune system reacts to substances that are harmless to most people. A substance that causes an allergic reaction is called an allergen. Cosmetics and personal care products may contain ingredients that can be allergenic for some people. This does not mean that the product is not safe for others to use.

Database

Cosmetics matter to people and play an important role in our everyday life. On average European consumers use over seven different cosmetics daily. You too? It’s only natural that you want to know more about the ingredients in those products.

In the digital world we live in, there’s a deluge of information on cosmetics. However, it can be difficult to know which sources are reliable. COSMILE Europe is a European cosmetic ingredient database that offers reliable, verified and scientifically supported information on almost 30,000 ingredients used in cosmetics.

This database will help you understand why certain ingredients are in your cosmetic products; which properties they have and much more. The database is currently available in fourteen languages with more to come.

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